Dreamcast scene

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Dreamcast-Scene (DCS for short) is a non-commercial organization that promotes the Dreamcast game console from the Japanese manufacturer Sega . In addition to collecting signatures and negotiating with game manufacturers, Dreamcast-Scene has devoted itself to developing and selling its own software for Dreamcast since the end of 2004. In addition, the largest database around Dreamcast topics is to be created on their website, which the Wikipedia-like system is supposed to accomplish.

The starting shot

After the release of the space shooter Ikaruga in 2002, some Dreamcast players felt again motivation to "fight" for their favorite console, which they believed to be dead, for example to draw attention to the new games from Japan , to collect signatures for new games and to contact them To strengthen manufacturers and fans.

At the beginning of 2003 this idea was realized with Dreamcast-Petition.com , several hundred signatures for new Dreamcast games in Japan were collected through an online form. Thanks to the Hong Kong- based video game retailer and distributor Lik-Sang , this promotion became known worldwide.

First successes

As the year 2003 progressed, the young developer company G.Revolution from Japan announced the space shooter ( Shoot 'em up ) Border Down for the NAOMI -Arcadeboard, which is based on the Dreamcast technology. Dreamcast-Petition.com saw their chance and got in touch with the developer and at the same time pushed for talks with Sega Japan. In the negotiations, the hundreds of signatures from all over the world came up again and again, which ultimately convinced the developer, so that in mid-2003 he announced a Dreamcast port.

Two years after the official termination of the Dreamcast production, a blockbuster was landed, which was a sensation. At the time, nobody had dreamed that the Dreamcast would receive such high quality software again - despite thousands of active Dreamcast fans worldwide.

Appearing in public

After Dreamcast-Petition.com and Lik-Sang entered into a cooperation after the announcement of Border Down , both parties decided to have a booth at the second Games Convention (2003) in Leipzig. What sounds simple turned out to be a very expensive and time-consuming affair. Nevertheless, they wanted to open up to a wide audience on a 12 m² stand, make the Dreamcast again palatable to the masses and introduce the new games from Japan. In fact, this was the first time the Sega Dreamcast was presented at a Central European video game fair.

During this fair, over 100,000 visitors visited the stand and were able to officially see a treamcast , an unofficial portable Dreamcast, at a fair, as well as play purely Japanese imports for the first time. In addition, were interviews with a Swiss radio station and the television station 3sat for sending new given.

The popularity of Dreamcast-Petition.com was further boosted by this generated attention . In addition, almost 1,000 signatures were collected for the petition list. A special guest of honor at this stand was Tina Sakowsky, who at that time was still General Manager of Sega Germany . She also signed the petition list and declared herself an official supporter of Dreamcast-Petition.com .

Dreamcast-Petition.com becomes Dreamcast-Scene

Just two months after the Games Convention, the name was Dreamcast-Petition.com to Dreamcast-Scene renamed and new ideas and content presented. From now on, Dreamcast-Scene should not only be responsible for petitions, but also have anchored all information about software and hardware for the Dreamcast in a kind of database. A forum was set up and a community was formed around the organization. With the Dreamcast Demo Disc # 01 the first product, a professionally pressed collection of the best programs, demos and games for the Dreamcast, was announced.

Unrecognizable progress and the demo scene

After April 2004, the Dreamcast-Scene website showed no progress, causing some people to have doubts about the future. Recognizable for only a few, the team around DCS pursued one of its new goals: The acceptance and establishment in the international demo scene and thereby the promotion of console demos, primarily for the Dreamcast.

Both at the tUM * o3 (The Ultimate Meeting, December 2003, Hemsbach ), as well as at the largest pure demo party in the world, the Breakpoint (April 2004, Bingen am Rhein ), Dreamcast-Scene appeared as one of the sponsors and raffled non-cash prizes among the best Dreamcast demos. In addition, CDs full of source codes and programming examples and the free KallistiOS developer kit were distributed to interested programmers. In addition, DCS drew attention to itself through banner advertising and the free distribution of developer CDs at the demo parties 0a000h (February 2004, Jux) and Buenzli (August 2004, Winterthur , Switzerland ).

These actions had an effect: Although online activities were reduced to a minimum, a Dreamcast demo was published in the meantime. Several groups and programmers had found new motivation to work on high quality demos.

In the following years there was a restructuring and realignment of the online offer.

Diskmag scenedicate

Scenedicate is the world's first Dreamcast- Diskmag and was published by Dreamcast Scene. It mainly contains articles on lifestyle, video games , Dreamcast, demo scenes (primarily game consoles and handheld consoles ) and artwork (analog and digital).

Classic diskmags have a long tradition in the demo scene, but have mostly only appeared on home computers. Since scenedicate is one of the few console diskmags, the creators have broken with the old tradition and for example there are applications and games that can be executed directly on the CD. The reports about video games are also very atypical, as disk mags are actually limited to the demo scene.

The articles in scenedicate are mainly written in English , but from time to time there are exclusive articles in German or French .

The first issue appeared at the end of November 2005 on the DVD- ROM part of the December issue of the German video games / lifestyle magazine "GEE" (Games_Entertainment_Education). The first edition of Scenedicate has been available for download since April 30, 2006 on the Dreamcast Scene website.

Contents of the first issue:

  • Introduction
  • Restoring Used Games
  • Need for console only parties (With statements from Psychad, organizer of the demoparty Deadline Console in Stockholm )
  • ScummVM
    • ScummVM interview with _sev and joostp (programmer)
    • Inherit the Earth interview (including demo version)
    • ScummVM 0.8.0 (latest version for Dreamcast)
  • GamePark 32
    • GamePark 32, the developer's handheld! (Article by Optimus)
    • GP32 demoscene, where is it? (Article by Optimus)
  • dcplaya (version 2.0 beta)
  • The story behind SHizZLE (statements from Lupine of Team Pokéme)
  • Capitalism influence in free culture (article by ps)
  • Scene demos (demos that can be played directly)
    • Hex Pistols
    • Jenny Thinks
    • One day miracle
  • 8- and 16-bit videogame charts
  • Credits

Despite the announcement of the second edition during the Breakpoint 2006 demo party in Bingen am Rhein, there was no further publication.

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